Chex Mix

by General Mills

95
Safe
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 1 flagged ingredient

Chex Mix by General Mills receives a safety score of 95/100 based on ingredient analysis using FDA Substances Added to Food (SAFFA) data and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings. The product contains 1 ingredient that have been flagged for potential safety concerns by regulatory or consumer advocacy databases. Product label data is sourced from the OpenFoodFacts collaborative database. See the full ingredient breakdown and safety assessment below.

Barcode
0016000476738
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed

What the Data Says About

Chex Mix by General Mills carries a composite safety score of 95/100, which we classify as "Safe" on our four-tier shelf-label framework. The score is computed by mapping each labeled ingredient against FDA Substances Added to Food (SAFFA) regulatory status and CSPI Chemical Cuisine classifications, then penalizing the overall product for each additive rated as caution-or-worse. Product data originates from the OpenFoodFacts collaborative catalog; safety annotations come from federal regulators and the Center for Science in the Public Interest.

Our scan identified 1 flagged ingredient in this product — components that at least one official source has classified as requiring caution, targeted avoidance, or further evaluation. Flagged ingredients are the items most likely to surface in FDA inspection findings, state-level ingredient bans, or outbreak-related recall notices, so the per-ingredient breakdown below is the most useful lens for anyone screening this product for a specific dietary concern.

On the NOVA processing scale, Chex Mix is classified as Group 4 (Ultra-processed). NOVA measures industrial processing intensity rather than ingredient-level safety, so it complements the SAFFA and CSPI ratings: a product can be clean on additive flags but heavily processed, or lightly processed but carry individually flagged ingredients. Combining both lenses gives a fuller picture than either alone.

Safety Profile at a Glance

Composite safety metrics for Chex Mix
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 95/100 FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite
Flagged ingredients 1 CSPI/FDA review
NOVA processing group Group 4 OpenFoodFacts
Nutri-Score Not available OpenFoodFacts

Composite metric derived from FDA SAFFA, CSPI Chemical Cuisine, OpenFoodFacts. See methodology.

Ingredient Safety Analysis

1
Whole Wheat
2
Yellow Corn Meal
3
Enriched Flour
4
Wheat Flour
5
Niacin
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
6
Reduced Iron
7
Thiamin Mononitrate
8
Riboflavin
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
9
Folic Acid
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
Approved
10
Vegetable Oil
11
Soybean
12
High Oleic Soybean
13
High Oleic Canola
14
Palm
15
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
16
Rye Flour
17
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
18
Or Less Of: Yeast
19
Maltodextrin
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, HUMECTANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT, TEXTURIZER
Safe GRAS
20
Baking Soda
21
Spice
22
Color
23
Caramel Coloring
Caution Approved (color additive, GRAS)
24
Paprika Extract
25
Barley Malt Syrup
26
Dextrose
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, DRYING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, HUMECTANT, LUBRICANT OR RELEASE AGENT, NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
Cut Back GRAS
27
Distilled Monoglycerides
28
Yellow Corn Flour
29
Autolyzed Yeast
30
Trisodium Phosphate
31
Calcium Carbonate
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, DRYING AGENT, FORMULATION AID, HUMECTANT, LEAVENING AGENT, LUBRICANT OR RELEASE AGENT, MASTICATORY SUBSTANCE, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PH CONTROL AGENT, PROCESSING AID
GRAS
32
Onion
33
Garlic
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
GRAS
34
Hydrolyzed Soy Protein
35
Fumaric Acid
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, CURING OR PICKLING AGENT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, LEAVENING AGENT, PH CONTROL AGENT
Safe Approved
36
Caraway
37
Disodium Inosinate
FLAVOR ENHANCER, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
Approved
38
Disodium Guanylate
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
Approved
39
Natural Flavor
40
Sodium Diacetate. Freshness Preserved By Bht
41
Wheat And Soy Ingredients

Full Ingredient List

whole wheat, yellow corn meal, enriched flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), vegetable oil (soybean, high oleic soybean, high oleic canola, and/or palm), sugar, rye flour, salt. contains 2% or less of: yeast, maltodextrin, baking soda, spice, color (caramel color, paprika extract), barley malt syrup, dextrose, distilled monoglycerides, yellow corn flour, autolyzed yeast, trisodium phosphate, calcium carbonate, dried onion, dried garlic, hydrolyzed soy protein, fumaric acid, caraway, disodium inosinate, disodium guanylate, natural flavor, sodium diacetate. freshness preserved by bht. contains wheat and soy ingredients.

Data Sources

Data as of 2025. Source: OpenFoodFacts, FDA SAFFA, CSPI Chemical Cuisine.

Product data from OpenFoodFacts (ODbL). Ingredient safety ratings from FDA SAFFA and CSPI Chemical Cuisine. See our methodology for details.

This information is for reference only and does not constitute dietary or medical advice.

Related

Data sourced from official FDA, USDA, and CDC food-safety databases. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainFoodSafe Editorial